Fourteen days is a great amount of time to experience some of the best places Bali and the islands have to offer. You won’t be able to see everything in Bali and the islands, nor would you want to in that time frame, as you would burn yourself out. However, in fourteen days, you can easily hit four major bucket list destinations; Ubud, Canggu, Nusa Penida and Uluwatu. These four destinations will give you the perfect mix of surfing, beach-hopping, cultural sights, snorkelling and nightlife. Are you spending more or less than fourteen days in Indonesia? Check out my 7-day itinerary, 21-day itinerary and 30-day itinerary.
Day 1- Canggu
After arriving at Denpasar International Airport, Canggu will be your first stop on the island of Bali. This is generally the first stop of most backpackers’ routes due to its proximity to the airport.
If you arrive during the day and want to get out and explore, head to Love Machine in the heart of Canggu to do some shopping and exercise your haggling skills. Walk around the nearby streets, a mix of brunch spots, cute boutiques and local shops filled with cheap sarongs, sun dresses and sunglasses.
In the evening, head to Lola’s for Mexican and Marg’s and the immaculate pre-drink vibes. Fancy a night out? Make your way to La Favela, a popular club with multiple levels catering to different music tastes. Want drunk food? Head to pitstop burgers on your way back from La Favela for a great drunken feed.
Day 2- Canggu
Wake up early in the morning for a surf lesson on Canggu beach. After your morning surf, head to one of Canggu’s top-tier brunch spots, such as Crate Cafe or Avocado Factory. Canggu has such a cafe and brunch culture that I wrote a whole post on my favourite cafes, which you can read here.
Enjoy a chill afternoon by the hostel pool, or treat yourself to a spa afternoon at one of Canggu’s affordable day spas.
At around 4 pm, go to Tanah Lot Temple to explore this significant Balinese temple. Before sunset, head to the beach next to Tanah Lot for one of the most phenomenal sunset views. Be prepared for crowds, so make sure you get there early!
In the evening, head to Black Sand Brewery for dinner and pre-drinks. Then head out to dance barefoot on the sand at Sandbar- an infamous beach-front club.
Day 3- Canggu
You’ll probably wake up feeling a little dusty after a late night in Canggu. But that’s nothing a morning swim in the hostel pool and some smashed avo on toast at a cute cafe can’t fix.
After you’re feeling moderately better, it’s time for more drinks. Head to one of Bali’s infamous day clubs for an afternoon of lounging in a cabana, swimming, drinking and maybe even having a cheeky dance. There are many day clubs, such as Finns, La Brisa and Potato Head, to suit different budgets and vibes.
For dinner, head to Luigi’s- an institution in Canggu known for being a great pizza place. It also doubles as a hectic club on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you end up at Luigi’s on a night that isn’t their club night, head to Havana Bar for cheap drinks and fun dance vibes.
Day 4- Canggu to Uluwatu
Enjoy one last hungover Canggu brunch before heading to a place famous for its surfing, chilled vibes and stunning beaches. That’s right; we’re heading to Uluwatu. For the full travel guide to Uluwatu, click here. To avoid peak traffic, try to leave Canggu no earlier than 10 am and no later than 2 pm. Otherwise, the journey can take 2-3 hours instead of 1 hour.
When you arrive in Uluwatu, grab lunch at the cult classic Yeye’s Warung for one of the best Nasi Campur’s Indonesia has to offer. Spend the rest of the afternoon swimming and chilling on the infamous Padang-Padang Beach, where some of the iconic scenes of Eat, Pray, Love were filmed. Make sure you check the tide times before you go. Padang-Padang Beach is best at low tide, as there is little beach to sit on, and it tends to get crowded.
For dinner, go to The Rolling Fork for authentic and delicious Italian food. If it’s a Tuesday night, make sure you stay for their Salsa Night in the back garden (one of the most random yet best nights!).
Day 5- Uluwatu
Start the day with a stunning smoothie bowl from Nourish Cafe. Then head to Bingin Beach to watch the pro-surfers take on massive waves at high tide. Afterwards, go to the nearby Dreamland beach to swim in the crystal blue waters.
Head to Mazu Beach Club on Balangan Beach for a late lunch. The food is delicious, and there’s no minimum spend to use the infinity pool or spend the afternoon lounging on their beach-side cabanas.
Just before sunset, make your way to SingleFin Day Club to enjoy the sunset. Grab food and a few drinks at Singlefin (if you can get a table). If not, walk just 5 minutes to the main road where there are many good restaurants such as Ulu Garden. If it’s a Sunday night, head back to SingleFin for their iconic Sunday evening party. Want to keep partying after SingleFin winds down? Head to AngelMartz just near Singlefin for kick-ons. It is technically a convenience store, but after hours it becomes the only place open for a sesh. Alternatively, head to TwinFin (underneath SingleFin) for late-night drinks.
Day 6- Uluwatu
Grab breakfast at one of the hottest cafes in Uluwatu- Suka Espresso. Be warned; you may have to wait for a seat. After you’ve enjoyed great food and coffee, go to Thomas Beach across the road and spend the morning relaxing on a lounger.
At midday, make your way to One-Eighty Day Club. Try and book a time slot at least 24 hours in advance. Treat yourself to fancy (and delicious) foods and cocktails to reach the minimum spend for a day bed. Make sure you make the most of the glass-bottom, cliffside infinity pool (yeah, you heard that right), which is every Tik Tok Creator’s wet dream.
At around 4 pm, head to Uluwatu Temple to explore the sight and also for the famous Fire Dance. Make sure you get there early to queue for your ticket and walk around to explore the temple in daylight before heading to the arena for the show.
After you’ve worked up an appetite at Uluwatu Temple, head to District 6 for Italian. If it’s a Monday or Wednesday night, they have all-you-can-eat pizza and pasta for cheap.
Day 7- Uluwatu to Nusa Penida
Wake up early to jump on the first ferry from Sanur Port to head to our next destination, the Insta-famous Nusa Penida Island near Bali. After dropping off your bags at your accommodation, head out for a day jam-packed with sightseeing on the island’s East Coast. The sights on the East Coast include Teletubbies Hill (called Bukit Teletubbies), Goa Giri Putri (Temple inside a cave), Treehouse (also called Molenteng Hill or Thousand Island Viewpoint) and Atuh Beach/ Diamond Beach.
While you can spend any amount of time enjoying the above locations, if you start early enough, you should be able to finish in time to enjoy the sunset and happy hour at one of the many sunset bars. Tonight, head to Secret Penida to try local and Western dishes, drink great cocktails and watch the sun go down. Head to bed early before another big day of sightseeing!
Day 8- Nusa Penida
After a complimentary breakfast at your accommodation, head off early to experience the beauty of the West Coast of Nusa Penida. The West Coast sights include Kelingking Beach (T-Rex Rock formation viewpoint), Broken Beach, Angel Billabong, and Crystal Bay Beach for snorkelling.
Again, I recommend you finish in time to make it back to the beach bars for sunset. Another excellent sunset bar with good vibes, food and drinks is Penida Colada.
Day 9- Nusa Penida to Ubud
Start the morning early with a Mantaray Snorkel or Dive (at your own risk, read my full experience with the manta snorkel here).
Afterwards, grab a traditional Indonesian dish at Green Kubu restaurant. Then head to the beach to jump on an afternoon ferry from the island to Bali mainland and then onwards to Ubud.
Grab an early 5 pm dinner at Sun Sun Warung to avoid the dinner crowds. Sun Sun Warung is some of the best food you will eat in Indonesia; make sure you try the Nasi Campur.
After dinner, head back to the Grand Palace and buy your tickets to see a traditional dance performance. While the performance doesn’t start until 7:30, try and get there at 7 pm. That you can nab a front-row seat with unobstructed views (trust me, it’s worth it).
Day 10- Ubud
Wake up early feeling refreshed to kick off a full day of sightseeing. Grab breakfast at one of Ubud’s popular cafes, Clear Cafe or Zest. Either hire a driver for the day or head out on a scooter to the Tegalalang Rice Terraces. Walk the breathtaking rice fields, take plenty of photos or even have a go at one of the infamous Bali Swings overlooking the terraces.
Next, head to Tenungan Waterfall to swim in one of Bali’s most famous waterfalls (and for a good reason!). After an afternoon dip, make it back to Ubud city centre to tick off another bucket-list item- the monkey forest. Spend as little or as much time watching the Macau monkeys eating, playing and stealing unsuspecting tourists’ belongings from their pockets.
After you’ve had your monkey adventure fill, treat yourself to some banging Italian food at L’osteria. Then get an early night in preparation for another big day tomorrow.
Day 11- Ubud
Wake up early (like 2 am early) to tick off one of the best experiences in Indonesia, a Mount Batur Sunrise Hike. After getting in a fair few steps and hopefully witnessing a clear insta-worthy sunrise, grab a hearty brunch in town at one of Ubud’s cafes.
Head to Cretya Day Club in the afternoon to relax in their infinity pools overlooking the rice terraces. Treat yourself to cocktails, delicious food and a sneaky nap on a poolside cabana after a long morning of hiking.
If you’re not tired from such a long day, head to CP Lounge in Ubud city centre for more drinks and dancing.
Day 12- Ubud
Enjoy a much-needed relaxed morning enjoying another great Ubud brunch and maybe a yoga or meditation class at Yoga Barn. In the afternoon, book a traditional Balinese jewellery-making class in the silversmith village of Delodsema.
Head back into Ubud city centre with your new custom-made silver jewellery. Grab some dinner at drinks at Simply Social and enjoy people-watching on the main street of Ubud.
Day 13- Ubud
Another early wakeup, this time to take a morning tour of a traditional market as a part of a Balinese cooking class.
After a morning spent cooking and eating, grab your swimming suit and jump in a car or scooter to visit Tirta Empul. Here you can participate in a traditional Balinese ceremony and be blessed by the holy waters of this temple.
Head back into town in time for a sunset stroll along the Campuhan Ridge. This is the best time to complete the walk both humidity-wise and lighting-wise for photos. After the ridge walk, head to Sun Sun Warung (yes, it’s that good you’ll want to go twice!). Enjoy your last night in Ubud with casual drinks and live music at Hideout Bar.
Day 14- Ubud
Enjoy a leisurely morning filled with brunch, one last stroll through the city and maybe even another yoga class (when in Rome, hey).
Head to Oka for lunch to try the Babi Guling, a famous Balinese pork dish. Spend the afternoon exploring Ubud city centre. Here you can visit cultural sites such as the Grand Palace and Saraswati Temple and shop in Ubud Central Market.
Take one last car or scooter ride through the countryside of Bali before your flight out of the island.
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